'You ain't seen nothing yet' - is the message from the organisers of this years Ilkley Summer Festival.

"The Tourist Information Office in Ilkley received an award for the best Yorkshire Day celebrations last year; but that's going to be nothing compared to what we are going to do this year," said Anne Hawkesworth, who first promoted the idea.

Organisers want to kick the Festival off with a huge bang on Yorkshire Day, August 1, and are already beginning to co-ordinate ideas and events.

Later on this month, the Festival Board of Directors will meet at the Town Hall in Ilkley to discover what progress has been made.

Director Miggy Bailey said that the limited company being formed by the Festival organisers was not to put on events itself but to co-ordinate other groups to stage them.

So far there are plans for a cricketing festival at Ben Rhydding Cricket Club, a huge marquee for events, a Fun Day on the riverside and concerts at the bandstand on The Grove.

"It has got quite a lot of potential," said Mrs Bailey, who is also secretary of Ilkley's Tourism and Town Management Committee.

She said that there would be events at the Manor House Museum and the Ilkley Flower Show, in its 50th anniversary year, would also be making a contribution.

So visitors and locals can make the most of what's on offer, Festival organisers will be producing a leaflet to outline all the events taking place.

The meeting, which will take place on Friday, January 17, will be followed by the issuing of a list of directors.

Coun Hawkesworth said the Festival would have an emphasis on a number of related themes: youth and sport; arts, heritage

and leisure, healthy living and rural life.

She said: "We want people to have the confidence it is going to happen. We hope it is going to bring in a lot of people and be a lot of fun for people who are here already."

The idea for Ilkley's summer

festival was born from the

devastation left of the tourism industry in the wake of the foot and mouth disease outbreak.

And the natural attractions of the Ilkley area were again highlighted by Bradford's European Capital of Culture bid.

Although the bid failed, the momentum built up in the district remained, particularly in its more attractive spots such as Wharfedale.

Parish councillors have given the idea of an Ilkley Summer Festival their full support and have called for volunteers to step forward to make sure the event proves a major success.

Tourism in the Ilkley area will also be put under the spotlight later this month when the Tourism and Town Management Committee will put in a bid for a local authority grant.

Mrs Bailey said that members of the committee would meet tourism officials from City Hall and local business people, including hotel owners, at Westwood Lodge, Ilkley.

As well as trying to obtain a grant, members would also be asking local business people what they wanted to increase Ilkley's attractions.

Mrs Bailey said that financial support from the local authority was vital to the success of the committee's work.

She said: "We might get some funding and we might get some more input. The biggest problem is the lack of funding but I think there is some money available from Bradford."